CURRENT AFFAIRS

Description

Deep-sea mining and its impact

Deep-sea mining is the process of retrieving mineral deposits from the deep seabed – the ocean below 200m.

What will be mined?

Nickel, copper, cobalt, manganese, zinc, gold and other rare-earth metals and minerals, much of which are used in electronics. They are found on the seafloor, embedded in three types of mineral forms: cobalt-rich crust, polymetallic sulphides and polymetallic nodules, the latter type forming seafloor fields that can be thousands of miles long.

Why are there such valuable materials in the deep ocean?

Natural hydrothermal geysers on the deep ocean floor regularly vent rich concentrations of metals and minerals from the earth’s core, forming valuable seams on the ocean floor that can yield up to 10 times the precious metals as in comparable land-based mining. The Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone in the Pacific Ocean is believed to be the most mineral-rich sea floor in the world.

Why is deep-sea mining becoming a big issue now?

The high cost, difficulty and risks associated with conducting mining operations at depths of around a mile beneath the surface of the ocean have been barriers to pursuing deep-sea mining. But the combination of technological advances in mining equipment and the skyrocketing value of precious metals used in consumer electronics have created an intensifying competition to mine the seas, or what National Geographic called the new “underwater gold rush.”

What are the main environmental impacts?

The following impacts of mining activities could affect its biodiversity and ecosystems:

·      Disturbance of the seafloor: The digging and gauging of the ocean floor by machines can alter or destroy deep-sea habitats. This leads to the loss of species, many of which are found nowhere else, and the fragmentation or loss of ecosystem structure and function. It is the most direct impact from deep-sea mining and the damage caused is most likely permanent.

·     Sediment plumes: Deep-sea mining will stir up fine sediments on the seafloor, creating plumes of suspended particles. This is exacerbated by mining ships discharging waste water at the surface. Scientists are concerned these particles may disperse for hundreds of kilometres, take a long time to resettle on the seafloor, and affect ecosystems and commercially important or vulnerable species. For instance, such plumes could smother animals, harm filter-feeding species, and block animals’ visual communication.

·      Pollution: Species such as whales, tuna and sharks could be affected by noise, vibrations and light pollution caused by mining equipment and surface vessels, as well as potential leaks and spills of fuel and toxic products.

Who regulates most deep-sea mining projects?

Most of the 26 permits that have been issued come from the International Seabed Authority, which was created by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and its 167 member nations. The convention divided the deep oceans up into zones controlled by individual countries, an area that covers 54 percent of the world’s oceans, but individual countries can also permit mining in their territorial waters, known as their “Exclusive Economic Zones.”